The cancer journal
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Adoptive immunotherapy with engineered T cells is at the forefront of cancer treatment. T cells can be engineered to express T-cell receptors (TCRs) specific for tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) derived from intracellular or cell surface proteins. T cells engineered with TCRs (TCR-T) allow for targeting diverse types of TAAs, including proteins overexpressed in malignant cells, those with lineage-restricted expression, cancer-testis antigens, and neoantigens created from abnormal, malignancy-restricted proteins. ⋯ Moreover, TCR constructs can be modified to improve safety and enhance function and persistence of TCR-T. Transgenic T-cell receptor therapies targeting 3 different TAAs are in early-phase clinical trials for treatment of hematologic malignancies. Preclinical studies of TCR-T specific for many other TAAs are underway and offer great promise as safe and effective therapies for a wide range of cancers.
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Review
Multiple Myeloma, Targeting B-Cell Maturation Antigen With Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cells.
Multiple myeloma is still an incurable malignancy despite the many new therapies approved over the last decade and therefore represents a significant unmet medical need. To address this need, adoptive cellular therapies using chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells are being explored in clinical investigations. ⋯ Immune therapies targeting B-cell maturation antigen have been the most widely developed, and much of these early data were presented at the recent American Society of Hematology 2018 meeting. Here we review the available data for anti-B-cell maturation antigen CAR T-cell therapies and discuss next steps as the field progresses forward.